Unless you’ve consciously uncoupled from both social media and mainstream media, chances are you’ve heard of Brunch with Babs. And if you live in Ridgefield, you almost certainly have.
Barbara Costello never set out to become “America’s most lovable grandma.” She wasn’t trying to go viral. She never even dreamed of becoming a New York Times–bestselling author! For Barb, the center of her universe has simply always been her family.
Born in Chicago to an Italian mother and Lebanese father, Barb grew up surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—all living in the same apartment building. Sundays were reserved for faith, family, and food, with more than 40 relatives gathering for a weekly meal.
“I was raised with a lot of really good cooks who didn’t use recipes... unless they were baking,” Barb recalls. “I remember my grandparents making wine in September, canning tomatoes. Food and family were synonymous.”
We’re sitting on the deck of her daughter Erin’s home in Wilton on a crisp fall day—the kind that starts with sweaters and ends in short sleeves. Sunlight filters through the turning leaves, the season shifting around us. Yet even as life moves steadily, endlessly forward, the pillars Barb has built her life upon—family, faith, and food—are constants.
She and her husband, Bill, have just come from a church service in Georgetown. Erin returns from the dog park in Ridgefield with her German shorthaired pointer, Phoebe, and breakfast sandwiches from Parma. Soon, a child’s laughter is floating through the air as her daughter Elizabeth arrives with adorable toddler Willa in tow. More than seven decades on, the same three rhythms from Barb’s upbringing—family, faith, and food—still anchor her life.
Barb met Bill Costello, aka the man of her dreams, aka Mr. Babs, in Chicago in the 1960s. They were married in 1969 and will soon celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary. Barb was a middle school teacher, but left the classroom when their first child, Bill, was born. When son Shawn came along a couple of years later, she pivoted careers, buying a restaurant with her mom, sister, and aunt.
“It was an Italian beef and hot dog–type place called Mrs. Murphy’s,” she tells us. “We couldn’t afford to change the neon sign, so we just added ‘Italian Cousins’ underneath!”
When Bill’s job with Bristol Myers Squibb relocated the family to Virginia, Barb returned to teaching—this time at a preschool. Their third child, Erin, was born there before Bill was again transferred—this time to New York City.
“We looked for houses in the tri-state area,” she tells us. “But once I saw Ridgefield’s Main Street, I thought: We have to live here. It was too perfect!”
The Costellos moved into a brand-new home on Bobby’s Court in 1983. Soon after, their fourth child, Elizabeth, was born. When Elizabeth turned two, Barb noticed there were no preschool programs available for that age group. So she took matters into her own hands and started an in-home preschool on the lower level of the Costello family home.
The Growing Tree quickly became a popular preschool in town, with each of its classes filled to capacity—48 children in total.
“Barb won’t say this,” Bill shares, “but one of her best skills was helping the parents—especially first-time moms. She reassured them, offered advice in her newsletters, and made them feel capable. It’s amazing that the same attributes she used then are now being recognized on social media.”
Barb ran The Growing Tree for more than 20 years before selling it to one of her teachers. The school relocated to Yannity, where it operated for another decade before closing. A weeping cherry tree was planted there in Barb's honor by a parent—a testament to the lasting impact she had on the lives of so many children in our community. And while that tree may be all that physically remains of the preschool, the creativity, traditions, and unabashed fun found a surprising second life in Barb’s unexpected encore—@brunchwithbabs.
Happily ensconced in retirement, Barb kept a loose schedule of relaxing lunch dates with friends, spending time with her family, and occasionally substitute teaching. Then came 2020.
Elizabeth and her husband, Ray, had two small children at the time, both boys. She was pregnant with her third boy—and was not feeling well. So Barb offered to move in for a couple of weeks to help with the toddlers.
One afternoon, while the boys napped, Elizabeth said, “Mom, you have to try TikTok.”
“I couldn’t believe she said that!” Barb laughs. “I told her, ‘Elizabeth, you’re crazy. I mean, I love to dance, but I’m not going to do that!’ And she said, ‘No, no mom… you’re going to cook.’”
On April 7, 2020, Elizabeth posted the first Brunch with Babs video. The recipe had been passed down from Barb’s grandmother and was a simple sheet pan meal, nothing fancy—chicken and potatoes seasoned with olive oil, lemon, garlic, and oregano. But it revealed to the world not only her cooking chops, but what an absolute natural she was on camera.
The video went viral and adoring comments poured in: “National treasure alert!!” “Will you be my honorary nonna?” “Babs, you’re an icon!”
Former students chimed in too: “Do you remember me? I live in California now!”
What started as a lockdown pastime quickly exploded into an online phenomenon. Today, Brunch with Babs boasts more than nine million followers across TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Barb has appeared on national TV, in print, and online. Last year, she was honored as one of QVC’s “Quintessential 50” women over 50, sharing the spotlight with icons like Martha Stewart, Billie Jean King, and Naomi Watts. She has lent her celebrity to fundraise for causes close to her heart, like the Elizabeth Seton Children’s Center. She’s also published two bestselling cookbooks—Celebrate with Babs and Every Day with Babs—and there are more in the works.
And while her platform showcases recipes, tips, and hacks, at its heart @brunchwithbabs is about creating and sharing family traditions.
Barb and Bill moved out of Ridgefield a few years ago, but they still have family in town and continue to live nearby. They remain fond of Main Street and especially enjoy sharing its offerings with their grandchildren—the Holiday Stroll, the Farmers Market, and the Memorial Day Parade.
Although she stops short of claiming credit, Barb suggests that she may have helped inspire Ridgefield’s Halloween Walk.
“That wasn’t around when our kids were growing up!” she tells us. “But we had one in Virginia. So one Halloween, I took the kids into town. We went to the different stores and said, ‘Trick-or-treat!’”
Stores didn’t have candy to pass out back then, but now, decades later, it’s one of Ridgefield’s most beloved traditions. Main Street is cordoned off and stores are stocked with sweet treats for the town’s littlest residents.
Barb reflects that, in many ways, The Growing Tree helped prepare her for Brunch with Babs.
“All of the zany things we did—how we celebrated holidays at the school—it all carried over to this chapter. So often in life, you’re being prepared for something you don’t see coming. I didn’t plan a second act. I was just enjoying life—and now here I am, busier than ever!”
She isn’t exaggerating. Between television appearances, partnerships, book tours, and content creation, Barb doesn’t stop. And Elizabeth is still there, right alongside her.
“I get to see Elizabeth more now than I did when she was in high school! And if I don’t see her, we’re on the phone half a dozen times a day. All the grandkids have been on Brunch with Babs. It’s a family-based endeavor—we’re all about family.”
Another years-long project is finally wrapping up—the Basket House home renovation, which is going to be headquarters for all things Brunch with Babs.
Built in the 1830s, the former blacksmith shop-turned-basket store on the Silvermine River was purchased by the Costellos in November 2022. It’s been a bonafide labor of love for the past three years. The Costellos have focused on lovingly restoring and honoring the home’s history—while (literally) bringing it up to modern standards. (The house had to be raised by two feet since it was in a flood zone.)
Given how Barb cherishes family and food—and how grateful she is for all that life has bestowed upon her—it’s unsurprising that Thanksgiving is one of her favorite holidays. She often tells her audience, “It only takes two years to make a tradition!” adding you can get started any time. Two of her favorite Thanksgiving traditions? Doing an outdoor activity with family and making Gratitude Soup.
When their kids were growing up, the Costellos always participated in the annual Boys & Girls Club Turkey Trot 5K. Another favorite outdoor activity was playing a fun game of flag football.
Gratitude Soup, Barb shares, starts with putting dried beans on each person’s Thanksgiving plate. Before everyone digs into the meal, a cup circulates the table, usually twice, with each person sharing something they are grateful for and dropping their bean into the cup. The beans then go into a post-Thanksgiving soup, made with the turkey carcass, the next day.
This year, Barb will once again be surrounded by family around the table. And while she certainly enjoys her imparting endless wisdom to her online family from her corner of the internet, Barb knows how fundamentally important it is to share meals as a family—away from all technology.
“It’s not about making it perfect, it’s about making it memorable,” she says. “If you can carve out one day a week for a family dinner, that’s enough. Even that one day would have very positive results.”
Since that April day nearly six years ago, Barb and Elizabeth have shown millions how to clean a pumpkin with a hand mixer, distract bees with a can of tuna, and keep critters at bay by sprinkling cinnamon in the trashcans. But these clever hacks are just a bonus to the underlying essence of Brunch with Babs. It’s about lowering the expectations bar, gathering the people you love, and making memories.
Babs may be an internet sensation—but to her family and friends, she’ll always be Barb. Wife, mom, grandma—keeping her family, her faith, and food front and center.
Celebrate with Babs and Every Day with Babs are available wherever books are sold. An upcoming children’s book, Did Your Mother Ever Tell You?, is currently available for preorder. And if you’re not already following @brunchwithbabs (or Mr. Babs, who just got his own handle! @mr.babs), now’s the time!